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Folk Tales of Japan: 28 Japanese folk tales with cultural commentary
Once upon a time in Japan, there was a province where parents who reached the age of sixty had to be abandoned deep in the woods on a hill called Ubasute-yama... Was the story based on a real practice?
History is written and re-written by the victors of history, but folktales are told and retold by folks of the ordinary. The truths they intend to convey can differ greatly...
A collection of 28 Japanese folktales coupled with a digestible explanation of the cultural and historical background of each. An excellent entry point into learning Japanese culture.
201 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 15, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
February 2, 2025
I was first introduced to Kyota Ko through his YouTube channel (as I believe many of us were). When my wife got this book for me, it didn’t register at first that the author and the YouTuber were the same people, but once it clicked, I could only imagine the stories being told in his voice (which increased the entertainment quality, for sure). If you’ve not visited his channel, I highly recommend it!
His work with these stories is excellent. His translation and voicing really bring life and character to them, and the context he includes after each story is something for which I am immensely grateful. I loved that this could be presented as not just a collection of short stories but also an opportunity to learn about Japanese history and culture.
If you are even remotely interested in Japanese culture at all, I highly recommend reading this (relatively short) book. Each story is really quite brief which makes it go by quickly. If you’re in the middle of reading something more dense or even purely academic, this would be excellent for a thematic and tonal change of pace!
5/5 would take this book to Japan and reread the stories in the vicinities where they were roughly (intended to be) based.
His work with these stories is excellent. His translation and voicing really bring life and character to them, and the context he includes after each story is something for which I am immensely grateful. I loved that this could be presented as not just a collection of short stories but also an opportunity to learn about Japanese history and culture.
If you are even remotely interested in Japanese culture at all, I highly recommend reading this (relatively short) book. Each story is really quite brief which makes it go by quickly. If you’re in the middle of reading something more dense or even purely academic, this would be excellent for a thematic and tonal change of pace!
5/5 would take this book to Japan and reread the stories in the vicinities where they were roughly (intended to be) based.
January 19, 2023
Folk Tales of Japan is a wonderful collection of 28 stories of old Japan, with each story followed by Ko’s fascinating commentary on Japanese culture and history highlighted by the story.
Each of the 28 folktales in the book is short — only a page or two — usually followed by 2–3 pages of commentary providing historical context for the folktale or describing how aspects of Japanese culture from long ago are manifested in modern life.
As a book of folk tales of Japan, it’s hard not to compare it with the classic Japanese Fairy Book by Yei Theodora Ozaki, first published by Tuttle in 1906.
Ozaki’s fairy book includes 22 of the most famous Japanese fairy tales, with each story running about 10 pages. Ko’s folk tales are less well-known stories, most told in a single page. Ozaki’s stories are fairy tales of magical animals. Ko’s stories are folk tales of local people dealing with adversity during the Sengoku and Edo periods.
So even if you can sing the song of Momotaro and know Kintaro by heart, this volume by Ko introduces new stories that most people are not familiar with and puts them into context of Japanese culture and history.
The stories were perfect for our family’s after dinner story time. We read one story each night together with the explanation which led to a discussion of the lives of people long ago both in Japan and overseas.
Most of the stories were taken from the Japanese animated TV show, Manga Nippon Mukashi Banashi which ran on Japanese television from 1974–1995 and can be viewed on YouTube. After reading each story in English, we watched them in Japanese, a fun way to study the language.
One nit in the translation is that Japanese terms were always reduced to English. Daikon became radish, tanuki was a raccoon dog, and oni were translated as orcs. The writing could have benefitted from a bit of polishing.
But those nits aside, the stories in Folk Tales of Japan were perfect for story time and Ko’s commentary provided enlightening context on Japanese history and culture. Folk Tales of Japan is a great addition to any collection of fairy and folk tales.
Each of the 28 folktales in the book is short — only a page or two — usually followed by 2–3 pages of commentary providing historical context for the folktale or describing how aspects of Japanese culture from long ago are manifested in modern life.
As a book of folk tales of Japan, it’s hard not to compare it with the classic Japanese Fairy Book by Yei Theodora Ozaki, first published by Tuttle in 1906.
Ozaki’s fairy book includes 22 of the most famous Japanese fairy tales, with each story running about 10 pages. Ko’s folk tales are less well-known stories, most told in a single page. Ozaki’s stories are fairy tales of magical animals. Ko’s stories are folk tales of local people dealing with adversity during the Sengoku and Edo periods.
So even if you can sing the song of Momotaro and know Kintaro by heart, this volume by Ko introduces new stories that most people are not familiar with and puts them into context of Japanese culture and history.
The stories were perfect for our family’s after dinner story time. We read one story each night together with the explanation which led to a discussion of the lives of people long ago both in Japan and overseas.
Most of the stories were taken from the Japanese animated TV show, Manga Nippon Mukashi Banashi which ran on Japanese television from 1974–1995 and can be viewed on YouTube. After reading each story in English, we watched them in Japanese, a fun way to study the language.
One nit in the translation is that Japanese terms were always reduced to English. Daikon became radish, tanuki was a raccoon dog, and oni were translated as orcs. The writing could have benefitted from a bit of polishing.
But those nits aside, the stories in Folk Tales of Japan were perfect for story time and Ko’s commentary provided enlightening context on Japanese history and culture. Folk Tales of Japan is a great addition to any collection of fairy and folk tales.
June 20, 2025
"Folk Tales of Japan: 28 Japanese folk tales with cultural commentary" was not only very informative, but so much fun to listen to. As a European, my knowledge about Asian history and cultures is quite lacking. Listening to this book was perfect for a foreigner, there were a lot of information on background and history, explained in simple yet captivating language.
This was a short and fun adventure, which make me even more interested in Japanese culture and history. For someone from Poland it is almost as learning about other, fantasy world, but so much better, as this is our real world. I feel very fascinated.
I can tell that the author is not a professional lector, but it was pretty refreshing when his "YouTube voice" appeared from time to time. Likewise, I could tell that he is as invested in the tale, as I am listening to it. This was almost as listening to the lecture, not a book, and it worked very well for this light style of writing.
This was a short and fun adventure, which make me even more interested in Japanese culture and history. For someone from Poland it is almost as learning about other, fantasy world, but so much better, as this is our real world. I feel very fascinated.
I can tell that the author is not a professional lector, but it was pretty refreshing when his "YouTube voice" appeared from time to time. Likewise, I could tell that he is as invested in the tale, as I am listening to it. This was almost as listening to the lecture, not a book, and it worked very well for this light style of writing.
June 22, 2025
lovely, well researched and organized book. the footnotes were my absolute favorite! i love how Ko san brought the stories to life by drawing parallels between them and history itself. i learned a lot. there were many stories that neither me nor my mother had heard before which made it all the more interesting to listen to. i hope he comes out with more audiobook versions of his books because he's a great storyteller!
November 11, 2025
A very easy-to-read book with very educational japanese history snippets that also manage to be very funny and interesting. The folk tales themselves were so-so but they worked very well as a jumping off point for the historical anecdotes.
I also really like how Kyota relates many of the stories to some big japanese cultural touchstones. It was very fun to get to another folk tale, and guess before the explanation what cultural things that story represented. So it worked very well both as a historical summary (regarding samurai and peasant life in the era) but also as a view into what viewpoints these people had. Super interesting!
It's very noticeable that Kyota makes short content online, but it is not distracting. The chapters are very short, and the writing style is very conversational. This makes it a super easy read, and you can easily finish a "chapter" in just a few minutes. For a modern brainrotted social media user it managed to keep my attention which is appreciated.
Favorite historical anecdote: Maeda Toshitsune and his nose hair.
I also really like how Kyota relates many of the stories to some big japanese cultural touchstones. It was very fun to get to another folk tale, and guess before the explanation what cultural things that story represented. So it worked very well both as a historical summary (regarding samurai and peasant life in the era) but also as a view into what viewpoints these people had. Super interesting!
It's very noticeable that Kyota makes short content online, but it is not distracting. The chapters are very short, and the writing style is very conversational. This makes it a super easy read, and you can easily finish a "chapter" in just a few minutes. For a modern brainrotted social media user it managed to keep my attention which is appreciated.
Favorite historical anecdote: Maeda Toshitsune and his nose hair.
January 2, 2025
Rounded up from 3.5* the content is interesting but I think it would be better as one of Ko's videos.
May 27, 2025
This was enjoyable and informative, my only nitpick is that sometimes the cultural commentary's connection to the folk tale itself was tenuous. I enjoyed it regardless but occasionally a section would end without really connecting the dots between the tale and the background information.
July 18, 2025
I based my last review on imagining the book was me eating lunch with the author, and couldn't think of anything to say.
If this book was lunch with the author, it would legitimately be the most entertaining and awesome lunch ever! He's great at recognizing history, being thankful for growth, and then UNLEASHING ENTERTAINING FOLK TALES AND HISTORY! Even if I didn't love Studio Ghibli movies, I would've loved this book.
If this book was lunch with the author, it would legitimately be the most entertaining and awesome lunch ever! He's great at recognizing history, being thankful for growth, and then UNLEASHING ENTERTAINING FOLK TALES AND HISTORY! Even if I didn't love Studio Ghibli movies, I would've loved this book.
July 21, 2024
This is my second book by Kyota Ko. I guess I am reading his books in the reverse order in which they have been published, with his first book arriving sometime next week.
As with the earlier one on Horror Tales, I truly enjoyed the book. The tales themselves are relatively short and interesting, but for me the genuine value is in Ko’s commentary after each tale. He relates some cultural aspects behind each tale, bringing in some historical and sociological insights which I truly appreciate. As a long time observer and fan of all things Japanese, there was information in the book that I did not know about. His books also made me want to delve more into the realm of Japanese literature.
The books are written in an accessible manner but without the content being dumbed down. It is thus something that new entrants to Japanese culture and those who have been here for a while can enjoy.
What was also helpful was the reference list at the end that provided links to the original Japanese texts of each of the tales featured. Useful if you want to read it in the original language.
My complaints are that the book is a bit too short, as I could technically finish reading them in one seating. I would love for it to be about a third longer with more stories and cultural insights. Also, I thought it would be good if Kyota had used perhaps the Japanese names instead of the English ones. For instance, in the last story about the crane, I thought using tsuru in place of crane would have been better, giving the story a flavour of the tale being a Japanese one. But is just a preference thing.
Also, I think I counted two references to Elon Musk with respects to Nobunaga. Not meant to diss Kyota, but Musk is nothing compared to Nobunaga. I think that comparison does Nobunaga a disservice. I get that Kyota was probably thinking of someone (in)famous at this point in time so that the average reader can get a sense of the ambition that Nobunaga had regarding unifying Japan. But I think he could have used someone else instead.
As with the earlier one on Horror Tales, I truly enjoyed the book. The tales themselves are relatively short and interesting, but for me the genuine value is in Ko’s commentary after each tale. He relates some cultural aspects behind each tale, bringing in some historical and sociological insights which I truly appreciate. As a long time observer and fan of all things Japanese, there was information in the book that I did not know about. His books also made me want to delve more into the realm of Japanese literature.
The books are written in an accessible manner but without the content being dumbed down. It is thus something that new entrants to Japanese culture and those who have been here for a while can enjoy.
What was also helpful was the reference list at the end that provided links to the original Japanese texts of each of the tales featured. Useful if you want to read it in the original language.
My complaints are that the book is a bit too short, as I could technically finish reading them in one seating. I would love for it to be about a third longer with more stories and cultural insights. Also, I thought it would be good if Kyota had used perhaps the Japanese names instead of the English ones. For instance, in the last story about the crane, I thought using tsuru in place of crane would have been better, giving the story a flavour of the tale being a Japanese one. But is just a preference thing.
Also, I think I counted two references to Elon Musk with respects to Nobunaga. Not meant to diss Kyota, but Musk is nothing compared to Nobunaga. I think that comparison does Nobunaga a disservice. I get that Kyota was probably thinking of someone (in)famous at this point in time so that the average reader can get a sense of the ambition that Nobunaga had regarding unifying Japan. But I think he could have used someone else instead.
March 29, 2024
Most of the tales in Ko’s book are short, and several are familiar to me from other collections such as Royall Tyler’s Japanese Tales. It’s an easy book to pick up, read one story and its commentary, and put down. One can take a bite of culture and history, chew on it, and take another bite later if you're still hungry.
Ko’s commentary frames each story in light of Japanese philosophy and culture, which makes this book stand out among other books in English with Japanese folktales. The commentary is frequently as long as the tale it explains, partly because Ko shares tidbits that don’t always bear directly on the tale. In the first story, Mother-Rid Hill, he tells the reader that Shibuya Station in Tokyo is on the floor of a valley, which might be why it’s called Shibuya. Ko tells the reader Shibuya means “bitter valley.” He theorizes it was called bitter because of the high level of iron in the water. He does address the cultural background of the story of Mother-Rid Hill, but it’s fun to get those other facts and speculations along the way.
This nice mix of culture and history written in a casual, friendly style makes this book a worthy read. I highly recommend it, and don’t skip the commentaries - that’s the best part!
Ko’s commentary frames each story in light of Japanese philosophy and culture, which makes this book stand out among other books in English with Japanese folktales. The commentary is frequently as long as the tale it explains, partly because Ko shares tidbits that don’t always bear directly on the tale. In the first story, Mother-Rid Hill, he tells the reader that Shibuya Station in Tokyo is on the floor of a valley, which might be why it’s called Shibuya. Ko tells the reader Shibuya means “bitter valley.” He theorizes it was called bitter because of the high level of iron in the water. He does address the cultural background of the story of Mother-Rid Hill, but it’s fun to get those other facts and speculations along the way.
This nice mix of culture and history written in a casual, friendly style makes this book a worthy read. I highly recommend it, and don’t skip the commentaries - that’s the best part!
May 14, 2025
Not my usual fare, but I have loved this guy's amusing historical/cultural videos on TikTok and YouTube, so when I found out he'd written a book??? Not just one book, but several??? And not just that he'd written them, but that he'd also recorded the audiobooks himself?????? I had to check it out. I was very pleased to find the audiobooks on the library's Hoopla! Kyota Ko has an amazing voice for audio, and a great storytelling presence. Because of these things, it made a book on a topic I wouldn't generally seek out really appealing, and I learned a lot. This book and his others would be excellent resources for light research into Japanese culture and history, especially for someone with a lower reading level or shorter attention span, as he keeps things interesting, and moving at a quick pace.
December 16, 2025
From Japanese ‘StoryYeller’, Kyota Ko. 28 folk tales, but much more than that. Some of the tales are particularly short, but open the way for a segue into a true story (sometimes obliquely) linked to Japanese history, to explain the culture or personality traits.
With remarkable timing I finished this just before watching the BBC’s recent Civilisations series ender about the Samurai period in Japan, so was able to smugly declare I knew all about the four US steamers that appeared in Edo Bay in the mid 19th century…
On top of everything Kyota comes across as a genuinely nice bloke - graciously answering a question I sent him in some of my own research.
He’s got another 3 books (two of which are in my to-read pile already). And speaking of piles, I was heartened to read the afterword in the book on hoods research methods and book stacking. It all felt reassuringly familiar…
With remarkable timing I finished this just before watching the BBC’s recent Civilisations series ender about the Samurai period in Japan, so was able to smugly declare I knew all about the four US steamers that appeared in Edo Bay in the mid 19th century…
On top of everything Kyota comes across as a genuinely nice bloke - graciously answering a question I sent him in some of my own research.
He’s got another 3 books (two of which are in my to-read pile already). And speaking of piles, I was heartened to read the afterword in the book on hoods research methods and book stacking. It all felt reassuringly familiar…
May 16, 2024
Delightful book with both whimsical tales and educational commentary behind each one. Read it in one day!
The stories themselves are short and told in a simplistic style that I believe perfectly captures the "told by mouth" nature of folktales. I really did feel like I was listening to the local storyteller whilst reading this.
The commentary, however, was my favourite part. Kyota Ko's passion, hope and earnest joy really comes through whilst reading these passages. I very much felt "the bittersweet sensation of mono no aware" the author describes several times throughout the book.
I definitely recommend this read for people who enjoy hearing folktales and learning about the culture of the time that may have created them!
The stories themselves are short and told in a simplistic style that I believe perfectly captures the "told by mouth" nature of folktales. I really did feel like I was listening to the local storyteller whilst reading this.
The commentary, however, was my favourite part. Kyota Ko's passion, hope and earnest joy really comes through whilst reading these passages. I very much felt "the bittersweet sensation of mono no aware" the author describes several times throughout the book.
I definitely recommend this read for people who enjoy hearing folktales and learning about the culture of the time that may have created them!
July 3, 2025
I was introduced to this book and his other books by his YouTube channel and I am very happy to have discovered this writer.
I often find it difficult to get an introduction into Japanese history in many books because they are thick and difficult to understand.
He makes it understandable and fun to read. I got an introduction into how Japanese society worked in some places without having to read a book of 200 pages and it is explained in a way anyone would understand.
I would recommend this book to anyone that likes myths from other cultures and anyone that is intimidated by the complex Japanese history.
I often find it difficult to get an introduction into Japanese history in many books because they are thick and difficult to understand.
He makes it understandable and fun to read. I got an introduction into how Japanese society worked in some places without having to read a book of 200 pages and it is explained in a way anyone would understand.
I would recommend this book to anyone that likes myths from other cultures and anyone that is intimidated by the complex Japanese history.
August 8, 2025
A look at Japanese culture through the lens of folktales
I follow the author on YouTube, so I'm used to his wonderful storytelling. My only complaint is that the book isn't so much a book of folktales as it is a history/ anthropology book using folktales as a starting point. Don't get me wrong, I love the commentary - it's one of the best things about his YouTube videos- I'm just used to reading stories with more depth and flourish. These are more like summaries than full stories. Still, I really liked this book and I look forward to reading his other books. Oh, and check out his YouTube channel if you haven't already.
I follow the author on YouTube, so I'm used to his wonderful storytelling. My only complaint is that the book isn't so much a book of folktales as it is a history/ anthropology book using folktales as a starting point. Don't get me wrong, I love the commentary - it's one of the best things about his YouTube videos- I'm just used to reading stories with more depth and flourish. These are more like summaries than full stories. Still, I really liked this book and I look forward to reading his other books. Oh, and check out his YouTube channel if you haven't already.
August 14, 2025
Found this author on YouTube shorts talking about awesome women of history. (an archer 🏹 for example)
Be warned some of the stores have Sad endings. There's a lot of poverty, disease, death, superstition, and brutality in Japanese history.
Ko treats these subjects with compassion.
trigger warnings uh probably suicide, mention of rape, prostitution, war and other violence, abandoning young/old to starvation and death from exposure etc
positive elements: stories about art and music and a lot of clever tricks
Be warned some of the stores have Sad endings. There's a lot of poverty, disease, death, superstition, and brutality in Japanese history.
Ko treats these subjects with compassion.
trigger warnings uh probably suicide, mention of rape, prostitution, war and other violence, abandoning young/old to starvation and death from exposure etc
positive elements: stories about art and music and a lot of clever tricks
January 16, 2023
Folk Tales of Japan: 28 Japanese folk tales with cultural commentary by Kyota Ko is filled with the tales of Japanese folklore as the name goes. The author has done an impressive job of research and provided the information about the tradition, culture, and major historical changes that Japan has gone through for several years. These tales are interesting and informative. Easy and simple read.
#JanuaryInJapan
#JanuaryInJapan
April 26, 2023
A short selection of Japanese folk tales illustrated with rather cute little images. Too little! Also I wasn’t a big fan of the writing … too informal, almost felt it was written for junior high school students … but the author is an Instagrammer so I guess that makes sense. I appreciated the additional background to help those of us unacquainted with much of Japanese history catch up and understand the context of each tale.
April 9, 2023
Historic Folk Tales of Japan is a great collection of stories put together for English speaking audiences. Kyota also shares passages extensively on LinkedIn, which is how I discovered the book. The artwork and tales are beautiful; great companion to learning the Japanese language and becoming more familiar with the cultural history and traditions.
May 11, 2025
This was a fun read from one of my favorite Instagram creators, Kyota Ko. I've always enjoyed his content and this book is basically just more of it! It contains a bunch of folk tales from the history of Japan along with the commentary by Kyota to explain them. This was fun and I will try to pick up more of his stuff.
August 17, 2025
Delightful collection of Japanese folk tales
It takes a lot of skill to tell a story briefly, with everything needed, and without any waste. The accompanying text gives the necessary context and compares the historical stories with modern Japan. This collection hits the same sweet spot as Kyota Ko's reels on Instagram, which I would also recommend.
It takes a lot of skill to tell a story briefly, with everything needed, and without any waste. The accompanying text gives the necessary context and compares the historical stories with modern Japan. This collection hits the same sweet spot as Kyota Ko's reels on Instagram, which I would also recommend.
August 19, 2025
Patronising and try-hard funny with too much pointless commentary about how evil people in the past were. How is that insightful to point out that infanticide is bad. This "oh my gosh" writing belongs on a personal blog. No information about tale provenance and variations, bold historical claims without sources.
October 2, 2025
I've always been interested in Japanese culture and anything involving mythology from literally any country, so this was definitely a really nice read. I got to hear a lot of folk stories I haven't heard before, as well as the explanation behind why these kinds of stories were written. It also was on the shorter side, so if you need a quick read, this is definitely one.
July 21, 2024
This book is as enjoyable to read as the video reels of Kyota Ko on Instagram.
A wonderful insight into the Japanese culture and history through folk tales.
I look forward to reading the other books and learning more.
A wonderful insight into the Japanese culture and history through folk tales.
I look forward to reading the other books and learning more.
September 5, 2024
What a fun informative book. He wrote some folk tales on Japan and gave a very detailed overview of the background to this folk tale. I learned more about Japan through this. Cannot wait to read his other books
May 12, 2025
An excellent introduction to Japanese folklore for westerners, with historical and cultural context.
I was introduced to Kyota Ko via his YouTube shorts, and a lot of his humor comes through in this volume as well.
I was introduced to Kyota Ko via his YouTube shorts, and a lot of his humor comes through in this volume as well.
May 14, 2025
Nice and chill, the book waves old folk tales with social commentary on history to give them context. It demistifies some common conceptions of Japan without stirring too much controversy. I'd read more from this author!
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May 16, 2025Engaging and intriguing stories and commentary!
So interesting and fun to learn about Japanese history and culture through these stories. I watch the author's fun videos on YouTube, which led me to his book. I highly recommend! I'm looking forward to reading more of his work.
So interesting and fun to learn about Japanese history and culture through these stories. I watch the author's fun videos on YouTube, which led me to his book. I highly recommend! I'm looking forward to reading more of his work.
August 30, 2025
Fun and informative
I learned about these from Kyota's Instagram which are great fun. The book did not disappoint. Great stories with a wonderful behind the scenes look at Japanese culture and history. Highly recommended!
I learned about these from Kyota's Instagram which are great fun. The book did not disappoint. Great stories with a wonderful behind the scenes look at Japanese culture and history. Highly recommended!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews